The average of a data set

The average of a data set

• A. Range
• B. Median
• C. Mean
• D. Mode

Answer: (C)

The average of a data set is the mean, calculated by adding all the numbers and dividing by how many numbers there are. For example, with the values 2, 4, 7, 7, and 9, the sum is 29 and there are 5 numbers, so the mean is 29 ÷ 5 = 5.8. This single value represents a typical value when you consider every data point. This is different from the median, which is the middle value when the data are ordered, and from the mode, which is the most frequent value. The range measures spread by subtracting the smallest from the largest value. The mean is the standard way to describe the average because it incorporates every data point, but keep in mind that outliers can pull the mean toward extreme values.

The average of a data set is the mean, calculated by adding all the numbers and dividing by how many numbers there are. For example, with the values 2, 4, 7, 7, and 9, the sum is 29 and there are 5 numbers, so the mean is 29 ÷ 5 = 5.8. This single value represents a typical value when you consider every data point.

This is different from the median, which is the middle value when the data are ordered, and from the mode, which is the most frequent value. The range measures spread by subtracting the smallest from the largest value. The mean is the standard way to describe the average because it incorporates every data point, but keep in mind that outliers can pull the mean toward extreme values.